Brock Osweiler is the last of the big- name quarterbacks available.
Value increases after others sign contracts
After the dust settled from Tuesday’s franchise tags, Denver’s Brock Osweiler was the last big name left among the quarterbacks.
Washington placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on quarterback KirkCousins, which will guarantee him $ 19.953 million in 2016. Philadelphia re- signed quarterback SamBradford to a two- year deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the total value of the deal to be $ 36 million, with $ 26 million guaranteed.
“It’s favorable for him,” Joel Corry, a salary cap expert for CBS Sports and former agent, said of Osweiler. “It’s a supply- anddemand thing. He’s the best guy on the market. The only thing is he’s not ready to carry a franchise right now.”
Bradford, with 63 career starts, and Cousins, with 25, have more starting experience than Osweiler, who has seven, so their contracts aren’t necessarily a template for what the Broncos’ 2012 secondround pick can expect to get.
H owever, Bradford, 28, has gone 25- 37- 1 as a starter and has torn his left anterior cruciate ligament twice in the past three seasons. Cousins, 27, is 11- 14 as a starter. Before the 2015 season, Cousins was 2- 7 as a starter, with more interceptions than touchdowns.
Osweiler, 25, went 5- 2 as a starter in 2015, including victories over the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.
“Ideally, you don’t want to pay him more than ( Los Angeles Rams quarterback) Nick Foles, which is $ 12.25 million a year,” Corry said. “But with Sam’s deal, thatmight not be feasible anymore.”
WithCleveland, Los Angeles and Houston all having quarterback voids, any of them could become enamored with Osweiler once the negotiating period with other teams opens March 7, when they could offer him a contract the Broncos wouldn’t match.
Twenty NFL quarterbacks are under contract for an average of at least $ 16 million a year.
The top remaining freeagent quarterbacks areOsweiler, the New York Jets’ Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kansas City’s Chase Daniel. Osweiler probably will be the No. 1 target for most teams looking for a quarterback in free agency.
Denver has expressed a strong interest in bringing back Osweiler. The wait for PeytonManning’s decision on retirement has limited talks for Osweiler’s potential return, but the current quarterback landscape has probably decreased the chances the Broncos can retain him in a bargain deal.
If the Broncos can’t get a deal done with Osweiler before free agency, they could go from two starting quarterbacks to none.